Retractable ball hitches for the load bed of a vehicle are known. A preferred ball hitch is one that pivots from an upright position to a retracted position in the load bed of a vehicle. Desirably a cover plate opposite the ball lifts and allows the ball to be retracted into or withdrawn from a recessed area in the hitch mechanism. A drawback of this style of pivotally retracting ball hitches is that the cover plate is the only means for preventing the ball hitch from reverting from the stationary position back to the retracted position. Another drawback is that dirt or other contaminants enter into the ball hitch mechanism through cracks between the components. These contaminants can cause the cover plate to insecurely hold the ball hitch in the upright position which can cause a failure of the ball to remain in an upright position. If the ball is not secured in the upright position damage to either the ball hitch mechanism or the latch from the trailer, engaging the ball hitch, or both will occur. Ultimately this causes a disconnection between the trailer and the vehicle if the damaged parts aren't repaired or replaced.